Chapter 57: The Broken Valley
A thick, heavy mist, like a curtain of smoke and ash, had swallowed the path ahead of them.
Daniel and Eva were riding on the back of the Vorak. The sound of the beast’s heavy breathing was audible.
Each breath they took pressed oddly on their chests, as if the air itself was weighted. They had set out about an hour ago, after eating lunch in the village.
Daniel glanced around. The massive walls of the valley were covered with carvings and markings eroded over time.
They reminded him vaguely of the stone engravings from his previous life, but he could tell these weren’t decorative—they looked more like symbols and explanations.
"What happened here?" he asked after a bit of thought.
"Honestly... I’m not exactly sure. Most of what I know is from my father’s stories. About a hundred and twenty years ago, this was a main road. The most important route connecting the continent of Arontir to the three others. The safest path, at least back then," Eva explained after taking a breath.
"Later, a lot of the trade guilds agreed to extend it and connect it to the ’Golden Road.’ That was the road merchants used for intercontinental trade. But... before they could finish, a massive attack by corruption beasts turned this place into hell." Her eyes fixed on the mist as she continued.
She sighed as she finished explaining. Before her family was wiped out, she had seen many drawings of this valley in their home library.
In the old days, it had been magnificent and beautiful.
"Here?" Daniel asked, somewhat confused. This place looked more like an abandoned graveyard.